It basically says that poor countries have more adversity, so people there are more religious, and this lets them find more meaning in life than rich countries. So, when it "really counts", they have an advantage. It totally outweighs all the poverty, starvation, poor sanitation, disease, lack of social mobility, and high infant mortality.

Of course, never mind the fact that religion negatively correlates to education, and poor countries don't do so well in the education department. That's probably a coincidence. Also, never mind that picking out one intangible attribute out from a bunch of really crappy tangible ones and calling it an advantage is super offensive.

I've heard that money actually correlates pretty strongly to happiness, up until you hit around $50K a year. I'm not sure how that factors in standards of living, and what-not, but it makes sense. Being able to meet your basic needs is a pretty solid prereq to actually being happy.

(28-01-2014 08:00 PM)RobbyPants Wrote: I've heard that money actually correlates pretty strongly to happiness, up until you hit around $50K a year. I'm not sure how that factors in standards of living, and what-not, but it makes sense. Being able to meet your basic needs is a pretty solid prereq to actually being happy.

I've heard something similar, however, in the spirit of research for the good of humanity, I selflessly volunteer for a test. If anyone would like to give me more than 50k this year, I'll tell you in 12 months if it's true

(28-01-2014 06:56 PM)RobbyPants Wrote: It basically says that poor countries have more adversity, so people there are more religious, and this lets them find more meaning in life than rich countries. So, when it "really counts", they have an advantage. It totally outweighs all the poverty, starvation, poor sanitation, disease, lack of social mobility, and high infant mortality.

It actually comes to show how religion preys on humans when they are the most vulnerable... its disgusting.

It cannot face the liberal,educated and independent population so instead it preys on the weak who don't know any better.

Dreams/Hallucinations/delusions are not evidenceWishful thinking is not evidenceDisproved statements&Illogical conclusions are not evidenceLogical fallacies&Unsubstantiated claims are not evidenceVague prophecies is not evidenceData that requires a certain belief is not evidence

Look at the Bible Belt in the US and check stats on income and education.

Marx said, "religion is the opiate of the masses." He wasn't kidding! Think social control.

Christianity's primary focus was and continues to be the chronically poor and ignorant. What a conundrum for the condition of the poor and ignorant: "the eye of the needle" justifies the condition and gives it status; "the poor will always be with us" justifies the state of the poor and ignorant, and "give to the poor" insures perpetuation.

Religion has the advantage of nourishing the state of poor.

"If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story." Orson Welles

(28-01-2014 08:00 PM)RobbyPants Wrote: I've heard that money actually correlates pretty strongly to happiness, up until you hit around $50K a year. I'm not sure how that factors in standards of living, and what-not, but it makes sense. Being able to meet your basic needs is a pretty solid prereq to actually being happy.

Yes, but your basic needs are relative.

In my youth I spent years bumming around Europe - south in the winter, north in the summer - homeless and the only cash I had came from buying handicrafts in the summer and taking them to sell in other countries in the winter. I owned a change of clothes, a sleeping bag and a tooth brush. I often had no idea where the next meal would come from. I had a wonderful time. I enjoyed everything to the max.

Fast forward to middle age - I spent years jetting from conference to conference holding speeches. As frequent traveler, I got first class tickets, sponsors put me up in 5 star hotels, took me to 5 star restaurants and the whole shebang. Total contrast to my poverty stricken youth. Was I happy? Yes, of course I was. I enjoyed everything to the max.

Now I am retired and on a fixed income. No more 5 star hotels, no more sleeping under bridges. Neither poor nor rich. Am I happy? Yes, of course I am. A stress free existence.

So, money doesn't have as much to do with it all as attitude. As long as you can stay warm (or cool), healthy and eat sufficiently, it's all in the attitude. There are pleasures to be found in every situation, if you just open up to enjoying them.

The buck stops when you are freezing or overheating, ill without medical care or hungry. Beyond that, money doesn't much matter.

God definitely has nothing to do with it, I was atheist through all of that.

Science is the process we've designed to be responsible for generating our best guess as to what the fuck is going on. Girly Man